The three rules of epidemics -- The law of the few: connectors, mavens, and salesmen -- The stickiness factor: Sesame Street, Blue's Clues, and the educational virus -- The power of context (part one): Bernie Goetz and the rise and fall of New York City crime -- The power of context (part two): the magic number one hundred and fifty -- Case study: rumors, sneakers, and the power of translation -- Case study: suicide, smoking, and the search for the unsticky cigarette -- Conclusion: focus, test, and believe -- Afterword: tipping point lessons from the real world.

Summary: Ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do." Behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes.

Ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do." Behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes.

The three rules of epidemics -- The law of the few: connectors, mavens, and salesmen -- The stickiness factor: Sesame Street, Blue's Clues, and the educational virus -- The power of context (part one): Bernie Goetz and the rise and fall of New York City crime -- The power of context (part two): the magic number one hundred and fifty -- Case study: rumors, sneakers, and the power of translation -- Case study: suicide, smoking, and the search for the unsticky cigarette -- Conclusion: focus, test, and believe -- Afterword: tipping point lessons from the real world.